1940s Bianchi city bike
1940s Bianchi
Actually, calling this a “city” bike is like talking about an “acoustic” guitar. Before the invention of the electric guitar, an “acoustic guitar” was just a guitar… Now we differentiate between “mountain” and “city” bikes (or even “acoustic” versus “electric” bicycles). When this Bianchi was new, it was just called a bike.
In this era, you wore clothing to go riding, not “cycling clothes”, and you were pretty likely to ride around wearing a “hat”, not a helmet…
This particular bike was built in the late 1940s, but the model was a very popular one for Bianchi for almost three decades.
A fully enclosed chainguard kept the oil on the chain from attacking your pants. The rod actuated brakes (with part of the mechanism housed within the handlebars) provided reliable stopping with little maintenance. It had all the best features like stable block pedals, a wide leather saddle with springs, matching full fenders, an upright comfortable riding position, and an understated paint job with just a touch of ornamentation.
Chainguard and center-style kickstand
Rod brakes pull up on the underside of the rim
Fantastic 1940s Bianchi pedals
Bianchi stem badge
Classic Piacenza bell
Does this 2011 Bianchi Smeraldo look familiar?
Hey, why don’t they still make bikes like this?
Well, actually, forty years after they stopped production on this model, Bianchi started building reproductions for folks who just need a “bike”. (sorry, the Smeraldo is only available in Europe)…